Steel Flowers
by Uncertainty and a Parasol
Summary: Short stories involving Ran Fan and Ling. Mostly fluff. Not connected to each other.
1. As You Wish

Ling climbed into the same tree that he and Ran Fan had always played in when they were younger. Hanging his legs over either side of the branch, he rested his back against the trunk, bark pressing into his skin through his shirt.

"Ran Fan?" he called, perfectly aware that she was nearby, keeping silent vigil.

Not even a rustle of leaves announced her arrival. Ran Fan stood lightly on the branch in front of Ling. "Yes, Young Master?"

He sighed. "Sit down. You're making me nervous. And take your mask off. There's no need to hide your identity here."

Ran Fan sat, but didn't move to remove her mask. Ling sighed again, leaning forward and pulling the cord that held her mask in place. It fell off and he snatched it out of the air as Ran Fan reached for it.

"Young Master..." she began quietly.

"No. I like seeing your face when I talk to you." he stated firmly, hanging the mask on a branch behind him. Ran Fan blushed and looked down. "As you wish."

Ling closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree again. He seemed totally at ease, but years of knowing him told Ran Fan that he could spring into action at a moment's notice, if need be. He said nothing. Ran Fan slowly counted to 100 in her head, waiting for him to say something. When she reached 100, she cleared her throat and gently asked, "Young Master wished to speak with me?"

Ling opened one eye to halfheartedly glare at her. "I told you, when no one is around call me Ling."

"Yes... Ling." Ran Fan blushed again when she called him by his name. It felt too personal, as his bodyguard.

"That's not so hard, is it?" he asked with a grin, knowing how it made her feel. Ran Fan sighed. She could hide her feelings from everyone but him. "Anyway," Ling went on, "I want you and Foo to come with me to Amestris."

Ran Fan stared at him in surprise. "Me? I'm still in training. You'd be safer with someone-"

"I want you to come with me. Besides being perfectly competent, you're my friend. Please?"

Ran Fan sighed. He knew she couldn't stand up to his pleading. She bowed as low as her perch on the tree branch would allow. "As you wish." She repeated.

She felt his hand on her cheek as he lifted her face to look into her eyes. He leaned close to her.

In a flash, she was gone, her mask as well. Ling was alone on the branch.

Ran Fan sat hidden several yards away, hands shaking as she tried to retie her mask.

Ling knew she was there, but called out for reassurance. "Stay near me, Ran Fan."

He heard softly, "As you wish, Ling."


	2. Call of Duty

She wasn't supposed to feel like this. Ran Fan threw her kunai harder than she meant to, burying it almost completely in the target. She pulled it out with difficulty, then sighed. Instinct made her spin and thrust her kunai out. She caught Foo's blade.

"So you haven't lost your touch. Good." he muttered gruffly, re-sheathing his short sword.

"Grandfather," she said respectfully.

"I need to speak with you, Ran Fan." Foo said sternly. Her heart sank. He'd noticed.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to keep a better lid on my emotions." She apologized before he could begin to lecture her, bowing low.

Foo smiled at her. Ran Fan looked up in confusion. "There's no need to apologize for caring about the young master. It's good, even." Foo sat on the ground and motioned for Ran Fan to join him.

"What if my feelings get in the way of our mission?" Ran Fan asked, her voice louder than she wanted it to be, as she let out weeks of worry into the question.

"They won't. If anything, they will help you protect him. Your call of duty will be stronger, and you will be able to keep the Young Master safe." he replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a rare smile.

"I suppose so" she said, happy that she didn't have to give up her feelings.


	3. How to Save a Life

Ling played quietly in the courtyard, bored without a playmate. He looked for his friend. "Ran Fan?" She seemed to step directly out of the shadow in front of him. She was too good at that, for a ten-year-old, in Ling's opinion.

"Yes, Young Master?" she asked. Ling grinned; she was so shy.

"Will you play with me?"

Ran Fan looked at the ground. "I can't. I have to guard you." she glanced up into his disappointed face. "But I can stay closer to you, where you can see me. If you'd like." she added, wanting to cheer him up.

He smiled happily, so Ran Fan sat down on the ground, keeping a sharp eye on her master, and the area around him.

Suddenly, the hair on the back of her neck stood on end, and she instinctively jumped up and ran toward Ling. She didn't think, she just moved. Her ingrained purpose that had been drilled into her since as long as she could remember took over and she jumped in front of him.

Something thudded into her shoulder and she told herself to ignore the pain that would come in moments. She gritted her teeth and spotted the would-be assassin. She threw her kunai, alerting the other bodyguards of his position. She tried to follow, but the pain in her shoulder was too much and she sank to the ground, clutching it and fighting for consciousness.

"Ran Fan! Are you all right?" Ling asked, rushing over to her, kneeling beside her.

"I'm fine. Get to safety." she growled. When he didn't move, she shoved him. "Go!"

He reluctantly backed away. "I'll repay you someday, Ran Fan."

"Don't be stupid. This is my job. Just go."

--

Ran Fan grasped the stump of the of where her arm once was. Ling had returned the favor and saved her life. Not only from Bradley, but also from herself.


	4. Steel Flowers

Ran Fan fiddled with the hair ornament that she'd inherited from her grandmother. She liked it; it was pretty, but...

She pulled her hair from the practical knot at the back of her head and began to comb it out.

The high laughter of a woman broke through the quiet of the end of the day.

She sometimes wished -she wouldn't admit it, but she did- that she could just be a girl. She'd grown up among men, wearing pants, not caring about her appearance, preferring anonymity to attention. She had never had the chance to wear dresses or makeup, or worry about her hair. She'd never gossiped and giggled with friends about boys, but she'd been gossiped about. "That girl, it just isn't proper, her being alone with the prince so much. I mean, _really_..." She had heard variations of this, and other more scandalous things, so many times, she stopped counting. She had no feminine charms. She was just the bodyguard.

Her hair was smooth now, as she changed into a white night shift. Slipping out her window, she nimbly climbed onto her roof.

Dangling her feet over the edge, she looked out over the grounds. The trees were putting out flowers, their delicate pink petals shyly emerging one by one. The trees nearest her window were nearly in full bloom. She breathed in the heady scent, enjoying the night air.

A flower fell into her lap, and she looked around. Ling stood behind her.

"Young Master!" she gasped, scrambling to her feet. "Is something wrong?"

"No, no." he waved her off, sitting down. When Ran Fan didn't sit, Ling grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him. She drew her knees up to her chest, feeling immodest in only her shift.

A firefly drifted lazily by and they watched it go, Ran Fan inordinately interested in the creature.

Ling picked up the flower that had fallen from her lap twirling it between his fingers, then after a moment, returning it to her. She held it delicately, staring at intently.

"What about you?" He asked.

Ran Fan looked up. "Sorry, what?"

"What about you?" he repeated, turning to face her. "Is something wrong? You seem upset."

"No, I'm not upset, Young Master." she replied, not looking at him, afraid her face would give something away.

"But...?" Ling prompted. "Ran Fan, I know when something is bothering you."

"It's nothing to worry about, Master-"

"Ling."

"-Ling. Just a silly thought." she sighed.

"About what?"

Ran Fan looked at him shyly. "All the court ladies... are like... like beautiful flowers. Like this one." She waved the blossom in her hand. "And sometimes I want to be one of them. That's all," she finished lamely.

Ling looked at her strangely. "You... you want to me like them? Ran Fan, they're all the same. Sure, they're all pretty, but... look at the flowers on that tree." He pointed at the tree near them. "Would you be able to tell the difference between them, just looking at the tree?"

"No..."

"Now, imagine this," he took the hand that held the flower, "but made of steel. That's you. You're different, Ran Fan. Beautiful _and_ deadly." He stopped, blushing. Ran Fan blushed twice as hard and slipped her hand from his. They sat awkwardly staring at each other for a moment, then Ran Fan broke eye contact and looked out across the yard again.

After several minutes of silence, Ran Fan stood. "...Ling, you should sleep."

He smiled at her. "You should too." He stood, patting her on the shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Ran Fan. Good night."

Ran Fan slipped back into her room and placed the blossom in a small bowl of water next to her.

–

Ran Fan woke and rolled over. The blossom had been replaced in the night by one made of steel. She touched the petals; they were sharp.

She smiled. A steel flower. She liked the sound of that.


End file.
